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Real Talk with Christopher Titus

Comedian Christopher Titus is raw, real and most of all, funny. Known for his brash, loud, and “hard funny” delivery, the funny man with a hard knock life brings his latest tour, The Angry Pursuit of Happiness, to the Crest Theatre this Friday, July 11. In it he gives you the secret to life, the Pope and even erectile dysfunction.

Sacramento365.com chatted with Titus about comedy in the digital age, hecklers and that one time he was accosted by a cash box-wielding crazy person in Sacramento.

1. I’m stoked that you are bringing your new stand-up act to Sacramento. Why did you title your current comedy tour, “The Angry Pursuit of Happiness?”I realized I was happy: my divorce over my kids was finally over and I am now happily remarried. My life wasn’t the constant struggle that had once fueled my comedy…and that scared the hell out of me. Thank God the world is still screwed up. My new show is about noticing how good things are and not being afraid of the future.

2. You grew up in the Bay Area. Have you ever been to Sacramento? If so, do you have any interesting stories from your times here in the Capital City?
I FREAKING LOVE SACRAMENTO! I do have one weird story about this town. I was doing a show years ago at a club and a crazy street person who had a cash box tried to hit me with it. It was the one time my martial arts training really helped. (Strangely, there is no name for the move that blocks a cash box.)

3. It seems you’ve experienced a fair share of heavy stuff in your life… what gets you up every morning?
I think we all have had stuff that is “hard” when it comes to life. Sometimes what gets me up is wanting to beat life back. To win. What fuels me the most is when people tell me I can’t do something.

I’m making a movie in October and people are saying that I can’t raise the money, direct a film, or whatever. But I’ve started up a promotion company, Combustion Live, and produced this Friday’s show at the Crest, so anything’s possible. It’s sick, but the word “no” seems to drive me. Wow, this is like therapy.

4. What’s the best/worst thing about doing a national comedy tour? (I’ve heard about your recent heckler experience at Zanies in Nashville!)
The more popular you get, the more people know you. The good and bad about that is they are now kind of your friends. They also think they can yell crap at you. I deal with hecklers very quickly so it doesn’t spread like the ebola virus.

5. How has the age of Google and social media (i.e. tweeting in 140 characters or less) impacted your comedy style?
Twitter has forced people to be funny fast. It’s amazing to see how funny everyone else is. I always say “shorter, faster, funnier” and Twitter is the epitome of that.

6. I was a big fan of your show “Titus” and I heard that there was talk of reviving the series. Can you tell us the status on the reboot?
FOX killed the Titus reboot and said I couldn’t even do a show with the characters – and the show’s about my own family! This is part of the reason I’m doing my own comedy specials and my own films now.

7. Finally, what do you think makes a great joke?
A great joke seems to have brevity and a big surprise. “I bet a guy $50 I was more dysfunctional than he was… and he raped me. So I tipped him. I win.” But there is no “perfect joke” or even style. Funny is just funny. Like art you know it when liquid comes out your nose.

See Christopher Titus perform this Friday July 11 at 8pm at the Crest Theatre. For show details, click here.

This article was written by Sacramento365.com’s Content and Social Media Coordinator, Jamila B. Khan.